


Thirty

by LearaBribage



Series: the missing pages [11]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist (Live Action), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, 青鳥の虛像 Fullmetal Alchemist | Fullmetal Alchemist: Bluebird's Illusion
Genre: Angst and Feels, Elicia "I Take After My Father As Captain Of SMS Royai" Hughes, F/M, Gracia "Do Not Underestimate Us" Hughes, Graphic Depictions of Hugging and Pining, Resolved Romantic Tension, Riza "I Can't Believe I'm Doing This" Hawkeye, Roy "Oh Is That So? Well Why Not Stop Then" Mustang, Sort Of, The Author Is A Fan of Healthy Friendships All Over the Place, The Author Is Also Very Much A Fan of Healthy Masculinity, The Author Regrets Absolutely Nothing Save For Savouring Slow Burns, gracia is BEST GIRL mes amis, lol, pun fully intended
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24772489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LearaBribage/pseuds/LearaBribage
Summary: In which Roy and Riza drive Gracia and Elicia home after the funeral, and they all bond over Hughes — contains graphic depictions of hugging, healthy friendships, and one quick-witted child asking the damn right questions.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Series: the missing pages [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1731022
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37





	Thirty

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to flourchildwrites from tumblr who requested the following prompt: "Sorry isn't good enough." 
> 
> It's not as angsty as my previous ones, but I hope it will make for a pleasant read. ^_^

"Thirty seconds," Roy rasped, his fingers shaking as he fixed his cap. They had been standing in front of the late Brigadier General's grave for quite a while now following the conclusion of his funeral rites. "Just thirty seconds is all I need, Lieutenant."

Riza nodded in silence, gripping her coat more tightly. It was a terrible thing to witness his despair because she couldn't quite control how much it affected her greatly _—_ his tears suddenly taking root somewhere deep within her that hurt much, much worse than the passing of her father.

But despite his tears and the melancholy in his voice, why was it that she felt that he had instead become more fiercesome, more resolute against the waves of his sorrow?

That despite the dusk falling around them, he continued to be radiant? As if he was a gentle flame, that one burst of light amid the darkness of the night?

 _It did not feel like he was giving up at all_ , she mused, a fond curl rising from her lips.

But perhaps, that was why he received her father's will. If the Colonel can walk forward despite the weight of his sorrows, then it should follow that he be reminded that he does not need to carry it all on his own.

 _Just like he did for me many years ago_ , she thought, feeling her cheeks warm, even as she tried to rein in the tears that were threatening to fall. 

Her hands balled into fists, gathering her resolve. She wants to face him with the strength he had always been lending her.

"Would you like us to investigate, then?" Riza offered once the moment had passed, and he faced her with clear eyes, even as his cheeks were still wet from his tears.

When he only nodded in silence, she bit her lip inwardly as she did her best to compose herself. He had not done away with his tears, so she wiped it for him instead, caressing his cheeks gently.

And she watched him breathe, watched him resurface from the depths of his despair until her breath caught as he held her fingers _—_ and left the faintest of kisses in the palm of her hand.

The warmth of his lips lingered _—_ the sensation of it making her skin tingle, even as they quietly walked beside each other along the path of Hughes's last steps.

She could not meet his eyes directly for a while _—_ at least, that was until as he asked if she would continue to remain beside him all the way to Central despite all the dangers it posed.

His dark eyes met hers briefly then, but it was still enough to change the rhythm of her heartbeat.

 _No_ , she thought as she whispered her agreement, lids falling, _it was more than enough._

More than enough to remain firm in her resolve _—_ to follow him.

_Even into hell._

"That said," he said over her thoughts, checking the time on his pocket watch, "I promised I'd meet Gracia and my goddaughter at HQ and bring them home."

Riza could not help the smile tugging at her lips when they retrieved his car before meeting the two at the entrance.

"Is it all right if you drive for us?" Roy requested sheepishly as Elicia suddenly tugged at his legs, asking to be carried.

Riza paused before nodding, the sight of him carrying his goddaughter on his shoulders flustered her thoughts. Suddenly, a hand settle on her shoulder, and she turned to see Gracia give her a knowing smile.

She returned the grin uneasily, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried her best to maintain an impassive mask over the sweet laughter of the Colonel and the child.

When they got to the Hughes's residence, Gracia looked at them with a fond smile as they all sat in the living room. Riza sat still beside Roy, who was entertaining Elicia's several questions about the Colonel and Brigadier General's exploits as soldiers together. She observed that Roy spoke about the love letters Gracia and Maes exchanged during the Ishval war.

Across them, she eyed Gracia sip her cup of tea with a smile that did not reach her eyes. She understood that Roy was keeping the levity in the room for Elicia's sake, but perhaps she can do something to help Gracia.

"The cookies you baked taste wonderful," she offered after taking a piece from the plate. "Not too sweet, very balanced. Like my mother's. I really appreciate it."

This time, even if the smile still did not reach her eyes, Gracia brightened visibly, clutching her cup happily as she answered, "I'm glad. I made a lot of batch the other day because Elicia wanted to help out. You can take a bag for you and Roy, if you like?"

"Yes, I'm sure the Colonel would like to share some of it for the team," Riza answered gratefully, catching her meaning.

Baking, she agreed, was very comforting. Formulaic to be sure, but not truly troublesome once the person gets into the thick of it. Everything simply disappears, and in the silence, there were no wars and scars _—_ only the sweet taste of a pastry existed thereafter, moulded by your own hands.

Savouring the flavour of the biscuit, she snuck a glance at Roy. 

This time, their topic had already moved to the days of Elicia's father and the Colonel in the military academy, making her smile awkwardly along with Gracia.

"I know about those!" Elicia chuckled, clutching one of the throw pillows. "Papa said he won against you first each time, haha!"

"I tell you it was unfair!" Roy muttered, scratching his head. "But even so, I won the sec _—_!"

His last words were muffled as Elicia threw a pillow to his face.

Gracia laughed as Roy rubbed his nose, making a show of being hurt _ _—__ much to Elicia's laughter.

"I don't know how it's unfair when papa cares about you a lot, though!" Elicia blurted, giggling as Roy patted her head.

 _Well, it was more of making a fine mess of it, really_ , Riza observed with a fond a smile until she noticed that he had hidden his eyes beneath the fringes of his jet black hair.

"Yes, you're right," his voice shaking slightly before he messed up the child's hair again. "We care about your papa a lot, too."

"We?" Elicia caught his hand before eyeing Riza with a wide smile. "Are you guys married? You even wear the same clothes! I mean, papa wears them too, but he's married to my mother!"

 _Ah_ , she cringed inwardly, _what wonderful logic a child has._

"It's because we're in the military, Elicia," Riza explained patiently, ignoring Gracia's hushed laughter. "It's a uniform the Colonel and I wear."

"Ahh," the child answered, eating a cookie with much gusto and ignoring the crumbs around her mouth. "That does not answer if you are married to each other, though, so please say yes?"

Roy laughed heartily, patting her head again. "Don't worry about it!"

"Ah," Gracia exclaimed, sipping her cup as she quickly glanced at the two of them, "we will look forward to the wedding then, won't we, Elicia?"

Elicia gave her mother a mock salute in response. "There's gonna beK-I-S-S-I-N-G,so yes, yes!"

And it was at this point that Riza _—_ sort of _—_ regretted answering the child's question earlier. Elicia had basically baited her into making that response. It was adorable as much as it was horrifying how sharp she was like her parents.

She risked a glance at Roy, if only to discern what he thought of the exchange, only to find him already gazing at her before he immediately looked away.

It only took a second for her to catch it, but the gentleness in his dark eyes made her catch her breath. Ah, she did not even know what face to make anymore.

"Elicia, could you please take your godfather to the kitchen?" Gracia said over her thoughts. "They'll be taking some of the cookies we made, isn't that nice?"

"Yay, okay!" Elicia said cheerfully, grabbing Roy's hand a bit forcefully, making him stumble a bit as they headed further into the apartment.

"You know," Gracia began, catching her attention, "he's very hard on himself. Severe, even, from what Maes told me about Ishval. But just like my husband, he's also very gentle."

Riza glanced at her as she said, "Especially when it comes to you."

She blushed, sitting up straight suddenly before remembering that Gracia wasn't trying to intervene. She was just trying to know her better. Riza just does not know Gracia as well as Roy did, but she has always been perceptive and understanding, so she wouldn't be saying these things out of spite as well. 

She let out a sigh, relaxing again once she sipped her tea. "It's just not the time for these things when there are more pressing matters ahead of us."

"That said," Riza began more seriously, "we will definitely look into the events surrounding your husband's death."

She placed her cup on the table before continuing, "Asking for your forgiveness about this won't be enough. So we will ascertain the truth of the matter, if only to give you and Elicia more peace. It's the least we can do."

Gracia nodded, her eyes growing serious before she stood up and patted her shoulder.

"I did not lie when I said I will be looking forward to your marriage with him," she deadpanned, much to Riza's shock.

She did not even manage to respond before Roy entered the living room with Elicia in tow, carrying a large paper bag on his left arm.

"Thank you for these," Roy said gratefully, patting Elicia's head and nodding to Gracia as they headed towards the door. "We'll make sure to visit again."

"Please take care of each other," Gracia advised cheerfully as they went outside. "Ah, and Roy?"

The Colonel paused with her as they were about to go down the stairs. "Yes?"

"Remember the promise you made with Maes, yes?" Gracia called out, her usually cheerful green eyes turning serious again.

Riza watched his eyes widen before he nodded. "I have never forgotten," he replied earnestly.

Gracia bobbed her head in agreement before waving them farewell.

Riza was about to comment when the Colonel suddenly stepped back _—_ halting to momentarily place the bag on the floor to retrieve something from his coat pocket _—_ and collided with her, making her grab onto his shoulders to prevent herself from stumbling to the ground.

The movement also caused Roy to grab onto her hands, pulling her to press towards his back as they gasped in surprise. In the end, the result was that her arms were woven across his shoulders, and his hands were gripping it as they balanced each other down the staircase.

"Ah," she panted in embarassment, her cheeks growing warmer each second in this situation where she was basically embracing him.

The thought of passersby _—_ small mercy that there were none outside the halls for the moment _—_ getting the wrong impression made her mutter apologies tersely as she tried to remove her hands from him.

However, much to her surprise, Roy simply clung to her more tightly, pulling her in.

"Thirty seconds," he pleaded, his voice deepening, "would that be all right?"

She blinked, the request surprising her for a bit.

Truthfully, the pressing _—_ and only _—_ concern that made her hesitate was their status as military officers. To toe the line beyond regulations, just because they were outside headquarters, was nothing short of imprudent on the both of them.

That said, she would be deceiving herself if she denied that his body canting against hers and the way he sounded as he quietly made the request weren't to her liking.

The truth, should he ask, was precisely the opposite. 

_He did_ , she remembered suddenly, _kiss my hand earlier, did he not?_

And it was for that reason that she was trying not to savour it too much because she also did not want to take advantage of the situation _—_ that is to say, she does not want to think that his request would merely be a consequence of his despair.

"I _—_ ," she spoke over her frustration, resting her head on his shoulder, "I request that you consider it thoroughly first."

"Truly," Roy sighed, removing himself from her grasp, "you are the stronger one."

The loss of his warmth against her made her grit her teeth, even as she kept rationalising that it was only right. That it was the wiser thing to do.

But why does it feel so heavy? Why does every interaction they have carry this much weight? Why does she have to keep on guard as much as he does? Why does _—_?

Her thoughts halted as Roy walked towards her, making her step backwards until her back hit the wall.

She could hardly breathe as she met his dark eyes in the frenzy of it all.

"Colonel?" she asked as he stood at a conservative distance.

"When it comes to you," he whispered in the silent hall, "I have already considered everything."

 _Severe, but... gentle, especially when it comes to you_ , she suddenly recalled Gracia's words as Roy lifted his hand to her.

_When it comes to you._

Riza heaved a sigh, placing her hand on top of his before she could overthink it again _—_ and then his warmth surrounded her as he drew closer to her. 

"Thirty, then," she said against his chest as his arms encircled her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"It's more than enough," he whispered against her ear, making her catch a whiff of his musk and the scent of rain.

She bit her lip.

It was enough to make her press against him more as she wound her arms around his neck.

She heard him exhale slowly, hugging her more tightly, as if he was breathing her in and memorising how their bodies collided _—_ all while she could only wonder about how much this embrace was moulded with the rhythm of their heartbeats.

Her lids fell involuntarily, basking in his warmth as it calmed her to an idyll. She clung to him more tightly, accidentally resting her lips on the slope of his neck.

 _A few more seconds,_ she thought idly as his arms began to withdraw from her waist. 

That was until a soft gasp escaped her mouth as his lips brushed her forehead gently when he muttered his thanks before he finally let her go.

Was it _—_ was it too greedy to admit that she wanted to be held by him longer? And was it too prideful to say that holding him _—_ and having him feel calmer in her arms _—_ made her want to hold him longer too?

Surely these answers will find peace in his dark eyes once everything falls into place _—_ at the right time and for the right reason. 

She exhaled slowly as Roy picked up the bag and turned to her with a grin.

"I'll drive you home then, Lieutenant."

Her lips curled fondly as they walked beside each other again. 

**Author's Note:**

> The Hughes family is a mood, lol. 
> 
> That said, I've had a really terrible week, so it took me a while to get my grip. Thing is, I've had this draft sitting on me since Monday, but the idea — making this story 10% HC and 80% wish — had been poking at me since last week when I received it. It was just a really terrible week, so I apologise. 
> 
> Anyway, take care, and please let me know what you think. ^_^


End file.
